Just to clear a few things up, his reasoning was that once you pull that chute the pilot now simply becomes a passenger and you have no control of where you land. Will you survive, more than likely you'll walk away without a scratch. But, think about this, what if your plane comes down in a crowded schoolyard or lands on someone's house or car that's occupied or a busy street full of pedestrians. You can very easily kill many innocent people on the ground when it could have been avoided. I also understand that landing a plane off airport can also kill innocent people but at least I'm in control and can make decisions all the way to the ground that may SAVE lives. Everyone has options and has to make the choice that they are comfortable with and can live with the outcome.

And yes, the option was always there in training and would have been used if needed as a last resort. Key word being "last". My SportCruiser does not have a chute and I'm glad I was taught by my "idiot" instructor to "fly the plane".

After you pull your chute at least you also have time to text your insurance agent to let them know they just bought an airplane.

ShawnM wrote:After you pull your chute at least you also have time to text your insurance agent to let them know they just bought an airplane.

Actually, the minute you get in a plane, you no longer own it. You're just borrowing it from the insurance company. So, in the event of an emergency, don't do anything heroic just to save them money!

The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.Prof H Paul ShuchPhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMTAvSport LLC, KLHVfly@AvSport.orgAvSport.org facebook.com/SportFlyingSportPilotExaminer.US

ShawnM wrote:Just to clear a few things up, his reasoning was that once you pull that chute the pilot now simply becomes a passenger and you have no control of where you land. Will you survive, more than likely you'll walk away without a scratch. But, think about this, what if your plane comes down in a crowded schoolyard or lands on someone's house or car that's occupied or a busy street full of pedestrians. You can very easily kill many innocent people on the ground when it could have been avoided. I also understand that landing a plane off airport can also kill innocent people but at least I'm in control and can make decisions all the way to the ground that may SAVE lives. Everyone has options and has to make the choice that they are comfortable with and can live with the outcome.

And yes, the option was always there in training and would have been used if needed as a last resort. Key word being "last". My SportCruiser does not have a chute and I'm glad I was taught by my "idiot" instructor to "fly the plane".

After you pull your chute at least you also have time to text your insurance agent to let them know they just bought an airplane.

Shawn,

There is a big gap between only pulling if the wings depart the airplane and first considering it as an option in an emergency. A chute is simply a piece of equipment that can save your life if you are in a situation where you need it. Since it is a piece of equipment on the airplane as a pilot you should be taught the proper way to use it. That is why your instructor did you a disservice.

In your example above, while you don't have control of where you are going under chute. You are coming down with a smaller foot print and less potential energy. I think you are less likely to do damage or cause injury to someone on the ground coming down under chute.

A plane coming down without power is whisper quiet. There may be little or no warning to folks on the ground.

A ballistic parachute deploys with a loud noise. In many deployments loud enough for folks on the ground to grab their phones to record the descent. And, theoretically, to get the hell out of the way!

Can a plane under parachute injure those on the ground? Of course. But in practice it just seems not to be happening. The “footprint” of a plane descending vertically is hardly larger that the plane itself. Much, much smaller than that of a plane cutting a horizontal swath of hundreds of feet.

After reading through all 4 pages worth of posts by experienced pilots and others, I reckon this geezer lower-than-novice aviation enthusiast - namely me - will wait to read the NTSB report on the incident before forming an opinion on the matter.

chicagorandy wrote:After reading through all 4 pages worth of posts by experienced pilots and others, I reckon this geezer lower-than-novice aviation enthusiast - namely me - will wait to read the NTSB report on the incident before forming an opinion on the matter.

I got a chuckle out of that! Everyone has an opinion, just walk into a pilot lounge with more than two folks and ask what's better: high wing or low wing!

foresterpoole wrote:Everyone has an opinion, just walk into a pilot lounge with more than two folks and ask what's better: high wing or low wing!

If you ask any two pilots that question, you'll get three answers.

The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.Prof H Paul ShuchPhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMTAvSport LLC, KLHVfly@AvSport.orgAvSport.org facebook.com/SportFlyingSportPilotExaminer.US

We have one. It's on the "ask the mechanic" forum, and it deals with Rotax engines, which are esentially ... (drum roll, please) ... motorcycle engines.

The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.Prof H Paul ShuchPhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMTAvSport LLC, KLHVfly@AvSport.orgAvSport.org facebook.com/SportFlyingSportPilotExaminer.US